Cumberland’s Hyers Marching Through the Voter Rolls

July 15, 2016

1,551 2,545 Former Cumberland Residents Now Protected from Voter ID Theft, Thanks to One Man

July 15, 2016 (FAYETTEVILLE, NC) – The Cumberland County Board of Elections sustained 994 challenges brought forward by Fayetteville resident, Mike Hyers, based on his research proving the voters no longer live at the address listed on their registrations, which brings his total to 2,545.

Even with the state’s current voter ID laws, Hyers believes it would be too easy for an unscrupulous activist to steal extra votes by using the registrations of such former residents, in order to make the difference in a close election.

“In 2010 State Representative, Rick Glazer, only won his election by 39 votes, so even a small number of fraudulent votes could change the outcome,” Hyers said. “Today’s Board decision prevents almost a thousand people from being victims of voter identity theft.”

Hyers actually filed 1,016 challenges this time around, but the BOE staff was able to locate 22 of the challenged voters and update their records. The Board then voted unanimously to sustain the remaining 994 challenges and remove them from the voter rolls. Previously, the Board had removed 1,551 former county residents from 77 precincts, whom Hyers has challenged, since his efforts first began, in late 2014.

“The fact that so many of these missing people haven’t voted in at least ten years, makes me wonder if the Board of Elections staff has been diligent in their duties under North Carolina General Statute 163-82.14—List Maintenance,” said Hyers, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and former ISO Quality Systems Lead Auditor. “I hope the County Commissioners are paying attention.”

The worst case to date that Mr. Hyers discovered was of Jessica Lynn Hayes, the daughter of a friend. Miss Hayes had registered in 1991, gotten married in 1992, moved to the Triad area after her wedding, and had been voting under her married name in that area. She had never voted in Cumberland County over the past 26 years, but she remained on the Cumberland County rolls, listed as “Inactive.” She was finally removed after the May 24, 2016, voter challenge hearing.

“Mike’s diligence stands as a model for how responsible citizens can make civil servants to do their jobs better,” said Jay DeLancy, Director of the Voter Integrity Project, “and I know certain bureaucrats hate it when I say this, but he is willing to teach folks how they can clean up their own county’s voter rolls, too.”

The county had the affected voters as either being “Inactive, Confirmation Not Returned,” or “Inactive, Confirmation Returned Undeliverable,” meaning they knew there were problems with their registration, but it could take years or even decades to get them removed from the rolls. Hyers’ actions serve as a legal method to remove them sooner.